This is a tournament for fighters at 170 pounds or less.
Burnett, from Tulsa, Okla., is at 170 pounds, but he can deadlift 600 pounds.
Tadeu is a 33-year-old Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend making his first U.S.
appearance.

Both fighters start quickly. Burnett lands some good
combinations. He sinks in a guillotine choke, but Tadeu escapes. Referee
Joe Hamilton stands the fighters up after a stalemate on the ground.

Vaulin
is from “the hardscrabble streets of Rega, Latvia.” Remind me not to walk
around town there at night. Blatnick said Vaulin has no ground skill but
has been in 273 fights in the last 17 years. Moreira lost to Paul Varelans at UFC 8.

Moreira
takes Vaulin to the mat and throws some elbows. The crowd is booing despite the fact that both
men are working. Vaulin can’t land the
big punch and time expires.

In overtime,
Vaulin hits a punch, but Moreira takes him down again. More boos. Tough crowd!
Time runs out again, and the judges award the decision to Moreira.

Both
men beat the weight limit by checking in at 199 pounds. Jackson is an Olympic
gold medalist. He takes Butler down at 1:00, takes his back and wallops him in
the head. Jackson gets the tapout to strikes at 1:28.

Here’s
a video on kickboxing champion Maurice Smith, who has more than 50 wins. He is also
the current Extreme Fighting heavyweight champ. Despite these credentials,
Smith is a heavy underdog against Coleman.

We
also get some hype for Vitor Belfort’s return to the Octagon at UFC 15 in
October.

Chappell
is the hometown boy, as he was the Alabama jr heavyweight kickboxing champ.
Fryklund is a karate black belt from Boston. Fryklund gets the tapout win with a choke at
1:31.

Here’s
a video on the top-ranked middleweights in the UFC: Guy Mezger, who won the UFC 13
tournament; Jerry Bohlander; Mark
Schultz, who retired to concentrate on wrestling; Enson Inoue; and Yoshihiki Takahashi, a Pancrase
competitor who will compete in the UFC “when his schedule permits,” according
to Beck.

Before
the fight, Jackson says wrestlers have more stamina, and that other fighters
submit because they’re tired . Jackson
takes Fryklund down, takes his back, lands some punches and wins the fight with
a rear naked choke in 45 seconds.

UFC co-founder Art
Davie gives a gold medal to Jackson, who says he wants to fight the best.

Another
hype video focuses on wrestlers who have excelled in the UFC: Severn, Coleman, Frye and
Randy Couture.

Smith
is 48-5-2 in kickboxing and has never
lost a title fight. He says Coleman punches like a girl. Beck says Coleman took
those comments personally.

Coleman
tests Smith’s theory with a takedown, headbutts and punches as the crowd
chants his name. Smith pulls guard and lands some elbows from the bottom. Smith
finally escapes Coleman at 9:09 and kicks Coleman while he’s on all fours.
FOUL!

Coleman
is tiring and the fans are chanting for Smith. Coleman tries a head-and-arm
choke, but Smith slips out and lands a couple of strikes. Time expires, so we
go to overtime.

Sucking
wind and looking at the clock, Coleman is in trouble. He eats a combination
from Smith. Three minutes are up, and we go to double overtime.

Smith
hits some leg kicks, and Coleman’s lights are dimming. Time is up, and the
judges award the unanimous decision to the NEW UFC champion, Maurice Smith!

About Me

Jeff Gorman is the first announcer ever to go pro in MMA, wrestling, football and baseball.
His career highlights include Ring of Honor wrestling, Lake County Captains baseball and the Moosin: God of Martial Arts pay-per-view.
Jeff wrote a book about his announcing adventures called "This Side of the Mic." Pick it up at bn.com.
Most important in Jeff's life are his relationship with Christ and his family, and he loves to spend time with his wife and daughter.
For booking information, email jeff@mmaspecialist.com